Archer appears in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! as Giovanni's trusted confidant and deputy. He is first seen in the Team Rocket Hideout, meeting with Giovanni regarding his studying of the Silph Scope. Though Giovanni dismisses the Silph Scope itself as a toy, he agrees with Archer's assessment that it proves Silph Co. can provide technology useful to Team Rocket and gives Archer the assignment to plan Team Rocket's attack on the company. As he leaves Giovanni's office, he comes across the player, and battles them to keep them from reaching Giovanni. After his defeat, he allows the player to pass. He later appears during Team Rocket's invasion of Silph, where he battles the player and Trace with the assistance of a Grunt. Despite his initial failure to stop the player and Trace, he returns soon after with the intent of wasting as much of their time as he can. Trace decides to battle Archer so that the player may reach Giovanni.

Later, following the disbandment of Team Rocket, Archer can be found in Giovanni's office in the Team Rocket Hideout. He challenges the player to one last battle out of anger for their defeat of Giovanni. Following his defeat, he reveals that he expected the player to show up eventually and drafted a letter to them, in which he congratulates the player for becoming Champion and declares his intent to leave Kanto to found a stronger incarnation of Team Rocket somewhere else before announcing the organization's return. Archer questions himself regarding what he wanted the player to think of him, then tears up the letter and leaves, bidding the player farewell.

Archer also appears in Pokémon Stadium 2. He is the final member of a group of Team Rocket members who bar the player's progress to the Mahogany Gym after they've defeated Jasmine. In Round 1, his team has no clear theme, but in Round 2, most of his Pokémon know Swagger. He also appears in the Challenge Cup during Round 2, taking part in the Poké Ball and Ultra Ball divisions of the tournament.

Quotes

"Oh? You managed to get this far? You must be quite the trainer. We intend to take over this Radio Station and announce our comeback. That should bring our boss Giovanni back from his solo training. We are going to regain our former glory. I won't allow you to interfere with our plans."

Being defeated

"No! Forgive me, Giovanni!"

After being defeated

"How could this be? Our dreams have come to naught. I wasn't up to the task after all. Like Giovanni did before me, I will disband Team Rocket here today. Farewell."

"That's quite enough of you playing the hero, kid. Spreading lies about how Team Rocket has disbanded… It's such an obvious attempt to cause confusion in our ranks. Fortunately, we're not so ignorant to fall for the lies of a child! And now, I'll show you how scary an angry adult can be!"

"Oh? You managed to get this far…? You must be quite the Trainer. We intend to take over this Radio Tower and officially announce our comeback. That should bring our boss Giovanni back from his solitary training. We are going to regain our former glory… I will not allow you to interfere with our meticulous plans!"

After sending out last Pokémon

"We can't have you getting in the way before news of our resurgence reaches Giovanni!"

Last Pokémon low on health

"That's impossible…"

Being defeated

"No! Forgive me, Giovanni!"

After being defeated

"How could this be…? Our dreams have come to naught. I was not up to the task after all. Like Giovanni has done before me, I will disband Team Rocket here today. Farewell…"

"So you're fool enough to get in our way, is that it? What brave little boys."

"Calm yourself! I'll teach these children a good lesson."

Being defeated

"Gaaah... again?!"

After being defeated

"So it wasn't just a stroke of luck that let you beat me last time. I understand now. We'll have to be more careful about you two..."

7F

"That's far enough!"

"Me again. As many times as it takes. I will not let you reach the boss!"

"Ugh! I don't have time for this! I must warn the boss!"

Team Rocket Hideout (post-game)

Before battle

"You... What could you possibly want, coming back here now? Because of you, Team Rocket was disbanded... It's not my style to be emotional, but I wanted to give you a glimpse of how I felt."

Being defeated

"With my current skills, I was not up to the task after all."

After being defeated

"... Never mind. To tell you the truth... I thought you might show up, so I was writing a letter to you. Let me read it..."

""Dear <player>, Congratulations on conquering the Pokémon League. I hold no grudges against you for what you did to Team Rocket. Instead, using this defeat as a springboard, I would like to create an even stronger Team Rocket and officially announce our comeback. I will leave the Kanto region. I wish for your continued success here in Kanto. Farewell. Archer""

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Archer appears alongside the other three Executives as their leader. He, along with his teammates, take control of Team Rocket from Carr, saying that they will stay true to Giovanni's intentions.

While the other three have their tasks related to the legendary Pokémon Arceus, Archer's task is the capture of the Pokémon itself. Archer, Petrel, and Proton arrive to see Ariana having defeated Crystal on Route 38. Suddenly, Arceus appears in front of them, and Crystal attempts to capture it, shocking the Generals in the process. Despite her tenacity, Crystal ultimately fails in capturing the Pokémon and is sent flying into a tree.

The Generals chase Arceus down and find it battling Gold at the Ruins of Alph. Once Arceus uses its powers and transports them all to the Sinjoh Ruins, the four Generals restrain Arceus and force it onto the Mystri Stage. Archer takes control of Arceus, and uses the Plates to demonstrate its great and varied abilities to Gold, Silver, and Crystal. Archer forces Arceus to use its great powers to create the legendary Pokémon Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina.

Believing he has pleased his boss, Giovanni, Archer starts breaking down into tears. However, his joy is quickly destroyed when Silver flies off to distract the Generals while Gold and Crystal finish off the three Pokémon Arceus created. Having done so, Arceus, now freed from its restraints, uses its powers to send Archer and the other Generals flying and completes itself by absorbing the Plates. Much to the shock of Gold, Silver, and Crystal, the clones begin reforming, to which Archer reveals that because the creation process started, it cannot be stopped. Archer snaps, and begins claiming that everything is destined; the creation of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, Arceus completing itself, the world becoming Team Rocket's, all destined. His insanity begins to scare his teammates.

When Giovanni returns, Archer is delighted to see that his plans worked and the person he considers the true boss of Team Rocket has returned. However, Archer becomes shocked when Giovanni starts to attack the Pokémon that he worked so hard to create. Archer begs for Giovanni to stop, but Giovanni brushes him off. Outraged, Archer declares that Giovanni is not the man who he thought he was, and decides to capture Arceus and rule Team Rocket himself. Having lost his mind, Archer runs towards the stage to capture Arceus, only to be easily kicked away. He lands on Petrel and is knocked unconscious. After the battle had ended, Giovanni has Archer carried away and states that he will be given punishment later on.

Pokémon

On hand

Crobat

Crobat is Archer's main mode of transportation. It was seen carrying Archer towards the light being emitted by Arceus along with the other Generals. Later, it helped drag Arceus to the Mystri Stage.

Houndoom was first seen being used to drag Arceus to the Mystri Stage. Later, it was seen nearly choking Petrel to death with its powerful tail when Petrel revealed what happened to him after his loss to Silver.

Controlled

Archer used Arceus's powers to change its type with the Plates and had it create the legendary Pokémon Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. Although he believed that it was he who cause the events to happen, Arceus did it all on its own as a test to see if humanity was worth saving if they could come together to stop the three Pokémon it created. While Giovanni, Pryce, Lance, Silver, and Crystal faced the others, Gold stayed behind to calm Arceus's rage. After connecting with his Togebo, he managed to reach Arceus, proving to it that humanity is worth saving. Afterward, Arceus left to parts unknown.

Archer created this Dialga after dragging Arceus to the Mystri Stage. Although it was seemingly destroyed by a combination of Frenzy Plant, Blast Burn, and Hydro Cannon, it quickly reformed itself. After arriving to help, Pryce fought Dialga and demonstrated an immunity to its ability to manipulate the flow of time. After the battle had ended, Dialga flew off, where it would eventually serve its role in the Diamond & Pearl and Platinum chapters.

Archer created this Palkia after dragging Arceus to the Mystri Stage. Although it was seemingly destroyed by a combination of Frenzy Plant, Blast Burn, and Hydro Cannon, it quickly reformed itself. After arriving to help, Lance fought Palkia and exploited his Dragonite's ability to change the direction of its Hyper Beam to hit Palkia even after it sent the move to another area. After the battle had ended, Palkia flew off, where it would eventually serve its role in the Diamond & Pearl and Platinum chapters.

Archer created this Giratina after dragging Arceus to the Mystri Stage. Although it was seemingly destroyed by a combination of Frenzy Plant, Blast Burn, and Hydro Cannon, it quickly reformed itself. After arriving to help, Giovanni fought Giratina, much to Archer's horror. When Giovanni's disease prevented him from continuing the battle, Silver stepped in to defend his father from the attacking Renegade Pokémon. After the battle had ended, Giratina was forced back into the Distortion World by Dialga and Palkia, where it would eventually serve its role in the Diamond & Pearl and Platinum chapters.

In the Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure manga

Archer in Jō's Big Adventure

When Jō and Tsubaki were battling Team Rocket, Archer was spying on them via camera. After noticing that the grunts lost to the two Trainers, he takes action in his own hands by sending out Houndoom. However, Houndoom was not able to defeat them, which made Archer upset.

Pokémon

Trivia

Archer's design in Generation IV is based upon the original sprite of all male Rocket Executives from Generation II. The other two male Executives (now known as Proton and Petrel) were given entirely new designs. Similarly, Ariana's design is based on the original female Executive sprite, being the only female Executive in Johto.

Considering Saturn is left with the assets of Team Galactic in Cyrus's absence, Archer could be seen as his parallel, as he controls Team Rocket in Giovanni's absence.

Names

Language

Name

Origin

Japanese

アポロ Apollo

From the US Apollo program, the US spaceflight program with the goal of landing on the Moon. It also may also come from Apollo, the god of the light and the sun.

English, Italian

Archer

May be a reference to the AA-11 Archer (also known as the Vympel R-73), an air-to-air missile from the Soviet Union. In addition, it may allude to his Japanese name, as Apollo, the Greek god, is an archer.